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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Bajrang Dal, VHP responsible for Indore riots: NCM

Note: This is not connected with Christian persecution, but the persecution and anti-propaganda against another minority community in India. The perpetrators are the same: VHP and Bajrang Dal.

New Delhi, October 26: Holding the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad responsible for the July riots in Indore, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has demanded action against both organisations in its report submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a few days back.

Copies of the report have also been submitted to Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Ministry for Minority Affairs A R Antulay, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and some other Union ministers.

"We have in our report said that proper action should be taken against Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad," NCM Chairman Md Shafi Qureshi said on Sunday.

On being asked whether the Commission has sought a ban on them, Qureshi quipped, "Action includes ban as well."

Earlier a three-member NCM team led by Qureshi visited the affected areas including Pandrinath, Chhatripura, Khajrana and Malharganj to take stock of communal violence that erupted in and around Indore during the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by VHP over the Amarnath land transfer issue.

Violence had mainly centered at Khajrana and Juhi Risala near Indore then. According to the report, a total of eight persons were killed in the violence. Seven among them were from the minority community.

Sources said the Commission has rubbished the contention of Madhya Pradesh PWD Minister Kailash Vijay Vargiya that SIMI was behind the riots and categorically said that it was aimed at diverting the attention of the country from real culprits of violence.

"Blaming SIMI for violence at Khajrana is a blatant lie," the Commission said in the report.

Taking strong exception to the use of licenced firearms by a section of people during the clashes, the Commission pulled up the state government for making "no efforts" to get such weapons deposited in police stations in time.

"Had the administration got the arms deposited in time, firings and resultant violence could have been averted," NCM Chairman Qureshi said.

The report further said the commission was told that licence holders were either "associated with or have close links with VHP, Bajrang Dal and BJP".

Noting that the "root cause of the violence lies in bandh call", the Commission criticised the state government for allowing a number of processions during the shutdown, which led to further deterioration of the already tense atmosphere.

The Commission also refuted the state police version that three youths died in exchange of fire between two groups at Khajrana.

"It was one-sided firing by a section of the people, who were enforcing the VHP 'bandh' or supporting it and there was no firing by people from the minority community, who were retaliating by pelting stones," the report said.

The commission has also taken serious note of the fact that the police resorted to firing at Juna Risala without any magisterial order that led the deaths of two youths from the minority community.